Month: July 2019

“I like the rules of songwriting. They’re the same for me as they were for George Gershwin or Cole Porter”

—Sting  

Developing a successful song structure is an essential part of writing hit songs. It is the key to being able to communicate your songs effectively to listeners. Yet many new writers are often not consciously aware that songs have a structure at all. It is important to understand that hit songs need a well-defined framework that will enable the song’s basic components (verses, choruses, bridges and pre-choruses) to work together to hold the listener’s interest. 

There are also specific conventions that are consistently found in the chord pro- gressions, melodies, lyrics, rhymes and construction of all hit songs. Regardless of the genre of music involved, these common elements help to keep fans of that genre interested. 

This is because, over the years, listeners have subconsciously come to expect to hear certain elements in songs. 

Skilled use of these components is what gives your song shape, keeps the momentum going, and is central to making the song memorable.

Although there have been many changes in genres, sub-genres and ‘sounds’ over the years, the basic structure of pop songs has evolved only slightly since the late 1950’s. As a result, if your song doesn’t have a familiar structure (or if any key ingredients are not used well in the crafting of the song), it won’t feel right to listeners … and they’ll quickly lose interest.

In other words, listeners like it when song form is clear, predictable and easy to fol- low. 

Some new writers tend to create their song structure by ‘feel’ as they write each song. But this often causes the song to lack the impact (and commercial appeal) that it might have had if it had been written within a familiar framework. 

It is worth spending time dissecting some of today’s biggest hits. Once you under- stand the key elements of their song structure—and you get to know what the different components do, and why—you’ll be able to challenge yourself to take them a step further … and start to follow your own voice in your songs. 

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“As soon as I find the form I can finish the song in my head” 

—Mose Allison  

Music publishers and A&R executives tend to judge the commercial potential of new songs on the basis of three key principles: style, originality, and shape and form. 

While style and originality are key factors from a marketing perspective, it is often the song’s form that plays a major role in gaining a positive response from the most important judge of all … the listener. 

Scientists say practically all laws of nature are based on symmetries, and symmetry is deeply ingrained in humans’ inherent perception of everything—from physical objects … to the shape of people’s faces … to the music we listen to. 

Whether we realize it or not, the repetition of melody, rhyme and form in popular music helps to meet this subconscious desire for symmetry. It creates a sense of predictability that is reassuring and a source of comfort for the listener. 

That’s why your songs need a well-balanced shape and form that is clear and easy for listeners to follow. The symmetry and predictability will allow you to establish a solid base on which you can then create a few surprises without taking listeners too far out of their ‘comfort zone’. 

Unless you’re writing jazz, avoid complicated song forms with intricate time signatures, chord progressions and phrasing patterns. They are more likely to be perceived as confusing rather than creative. 

Even when a song comes to you spontaneously, perhaps resulting in a complete verse or chorus in a flash of inspiration, there is a still point at which you will have to decide which basic form to use in order to convey the song effectively to the listener. 

“I write a lot from instinct,” Janis Ian once said. ”But as you’re writing out of instinct, once you reach a certain level as a songwriter, the craft is always there talking to you in the back of your head…telling you when it’s time to go to the chorus, when it’s time to rhyme. Real basic craft.”

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When you analyze your favorite writers’ songs, you will find there are five basic elements around which most of their songs are built: the intro, the verse, a pre-chorus, a chorus and a bridge (also known as a ‘middle eight’). 

There are always variations, of course, but very few hit songs stray far from using one of these five well-established frameworks: 

1. Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus.
2. Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus.
3. Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus.
4. Verse, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Chorus.
5. Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus.

The second of these structures (Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus) is the most popular song form today. The melodic ‘hook’ and title line are usually built into the chorus. Some writers also include a pre-chorus or ‘lift’ that connects the end of the verse to the chorus itself. 

INTRO 

Most songs start with a four-bar introduction (or ‘intro’), although some songs may open with the chorus or go straight into the first verse. The intro is usually a catchy melodic phrase or riff that establishes the feel and tempo of the song and prepares the listener for the first verse. 

It is always best to create the intro as part of your song, rather than adlib it as an afterthought when recording your demo. 

VERSE 

The verse tells the story like a chapter in a book, with different words in each verse to drive the story forward. Although some verses may have 12 bars or 16 bars, most verses in today’s hit songs tend to have no more than eight lyric lines and are usu- ally eight bars long (the eight bars often comprise three two-bar melodies with a slight variation in the fourth two-bar melody line). 

PRE-CHORUS 

Typically only four bars long, the pre-chorus (also known as a ‘lift’) is designed to add a burst of extra energy at the end of the verse. Its function is to suddenly lift the melody and propel the listener into the chorus. 

CHORUS 

The chorus is the part of the song that is meant to get stuck in the listener’s head. While the lyrics are usually the same in every chorus, it should be melodically dif- ferent from the verse with different chord changes. The chorus must contain the song’s title and melodic ‘hook’, and should repeat the title line almost like a catch- phrase. Most choruses are typically four bars or eight bars long, with no more than eight lines of lyrics. 

The chorus usually follows a verse, but songs that famously begin with the chorus include The Beatles’ ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘Imma Be’ by the Black Eyed Peas and Pink’s ‘Get the Party Started’. 

BRIDGE 

The bridge or ‘middle-eight’ is a four-bar or eight-bar section that usually only appears once in a song. It is designed to provide a temporary release from the repetition of the verse and chorus. It usually contains a whole new melody, with up to four lines of new lyrics that continue to expand the song’s story line (sometimes with an ironic twist). 

To give your song symmetry, each verse, pre-chorus, chorus and bridge should be the same length every time. Straying too far from these established frameworks can make a song’s form sound confusing and the melody may lack a recognizable shape (and therefore won’t stick in the listener’s mind). 

VERSE-REFRAIN FORM 

While the majority of today’s hit songs are based on the verse-chorus format, some songs still use the more traditional verse-refrain structure. 

A refrain is similar to a chorus, but musically and lyrically it is used to resolve and end a verse, whereas a chorus begins a distinctively new music section. Some verse-refrain songs may also include a bridge section. 

REFRAIN 

A refrain is typically a two-line repeated statement placed at the end of a verse. It usually includes the title line and the lyrics comment on or summarizes the pre-ceding verse. 

The refrain section should play the same role as the all-important hook in the verse-chorus format. Melodically and lyrically it should be catchy and memorable so that it stands out, lets people know what the song is called, and gets inside the listener’s head. 

One of the most famous examples of a verse-refrain song is Paul Simon’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’. The refrain at the end of each verse consists of the same line sung twice: “Like a bridge over troubled water I will lay me down”. 

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“Sometimes a vocal melody can sit on top of a simple progression in a way that makes the song special” Whitley  

—Chris Whitley 

Some new songwriters believe they will attract more interest in their songs by deliberately setting out to avoid using an established commercial format. However, experimenting with form is not a good idea when you’re trying to break into the music industry. Attempting to avoid falling into a familiar format can often lead to strange-sounding, forced chord progressions that don’t resolve correctly— and may leave the listener confused or unsettled. 

Building your songs around one of the four tried and tested variations of the Verse- Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus form does not mean you’re ‘selling out’. Many great songwriters continue to use these proven formats. Why?

Because they work. 

So don’t be put off by critics who say that using an established framework is just ‘formula writing’. Developing a song within an accepted structure doesn’t mean you can’t add something fresh and original of your own. 

The challenge is to write something remarkable that stands out musically and lyrically but doesn’t break all the rules of song form. Being ‘different’ within a tried and tested format—something Lennon & McCartney frequently did in their early days—means your songs will still be meaningful to listeners. 

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 Taking time to dissect and analyze current hit songs is a great way to develop a better understanding of how these songs work and why they are so successful. You can then apply this knowledge to your own songs. 

It will help you to sharpen your own songwriting instincts, and your songs will get better much faster as a result. 

The first step in analyzing a current hit song is to identify each different melodic segment within the song. The simplest way to do this is to create a simple flow- chart on a piece of paper. Draw a separate box for each different section of melody that you hear. This will break the song down into a sequence of boxes in your chart and, in this way, show you how the song is constructed. 

Taking the common Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus format, Box 1 is likely to be the first verse (so label it ‘1st Verse’). Box 2 will be the ‘1st Chorus’. Box 3 will be the ‘2nd Verse’, followed by the ‘2nd Chorus’ in Box 4. There may be a completely different melody in a third segment (so label Box 5 as ‘Bridge’). The song may then return to another verse and chorus, or go straight into the chorus repeats at the end of the song.

Some songs may also feature a different melody in a short segment between the end of the verse and the beginning of the chorus (put this section into its own box titled ‘1st Pre-chorus’, ‘2nd Pre-chorus’, etc.). Other songs may even start with the chorus. 

Once you have your ‘map’ of the song, you can break it down even further. Count the bars in each separate segment and enter the number in the appropriate box. A verse section usually has eight bars or maybe 16, while a chorus typically comprises eight bars. Also time the length of each section in minutes or seconds and put this figure in the box. 

Next, work out the chords for each section of the song by ear, and analyze other aspects— such as rhyming patterns and melodic shapes—to determine how and why these elements work so well. 

In addition to showing you the predictable elements of basic song forms, this exercise will also highlight how occasional variations—such as extra bars or an unexpected chord change—can surprise listeners and make the song more memorable. 

As well as dissecting other writers’ songs as part of your learning process, it is also important to spend time each week analyzing your own songs in this way. By map- ping out current hit songs, you will be able to compare them with the structure, timings, chord progressions and rhyming patterns of your own latest songs. This should help you to ensure that you have the right components in the right order—and in the right place. 

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“I don’t write songs, songs write me” 

—Sammy Cahn  

Trying too hard to make a song happen—force-feeding the songwriting process— rarely leads to great results. A song that is labored often lacks the emotion of something that comes to you naturally like a perfectly-formed idea that you just pluck out of the air (or, more accurately, out of your subconscious). 

“If you don’t try and force it, a song will find the proper moment to come to life,” says Valerie Simpson who co-wrote classic songs such as ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ and ‘Solid (As a Rock)’ with her husband Nickolas Ashford. 

Stephen Stills also believes in not pushing things if you feel your efforts during a writing session are exhausted, or if you’ve got songwriting block. “I sit down and start playing the guitar, if nothing comes I put it down,” he says. “If something comes I pursue it until I get bored. I know better than to force it.” 

His former band mate Neil Young holds a similar view: “If you don’t have an idea and you don’t hear anything going over and over in your head, don’t sit down and try to write a song. Go mow the lawn…”. 

When inspiration does come, don’t stop the flow. Take the chords, melodies and lyrics that come instinctively and accept that they may change during the creative process. Don’t go chasing the ‘perfect’ melody or rhyme or the correct phrasing – just get the first draft of the song written. 

If you spend too much time trying to perfect one element of the song, you may lose your connection with the spark that ignited the idea in the first place. 

Similarly, don’t try to rush a new song. Be patient. We’ve all heard the stories about classic songs that were written in 10 minutes, but the majority of well-crafted songs are actually the result of many rounds of re-writes and careful polishing. 

English songwriter Ed Sheeran told American Songwriter magazine that he’d spent five years working on a particular song. “This one song keeps evolving,” he said, “and I keep adding bits to it.” 

If you find you’re stuck with one of your songs, try sleeping on it. Scientists now believe that a nap can boost creative thought. 

A study by researchers at the University of California in San Diego concluded that problems are more likely to be solved after a period of dreamy sleep. Scientists believe rapid eye movement (REM) sleep allows the brain to form new nerve connections without the interference of other thought pathways that occur when we are awake or in non-dreamy sleep. 

Anecdotal evidence suggests there could be some truth in this. Paul McCartney has often spoken about the melody for ‘Yesterday’ coming to him in a dream. Keith Richards wrote the riff for ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ in his sleep. And ‘Norwegian Wood’ came to John Lennon in the same way. 

“I’d spent five hours that morning trying to write a song that was meaningful and good,” Lennon recalled, “and I finally gave up and lay down. Then, ‘Nowhere Man’ came, words and music, the whole damn thing. You try to go to sleep, but the song won’t let you. So you have to get up and make it into something….” 

More recently, The Smiths’ Johnny Marr said: “I sleep in little three or four hour bursts and then I get these creative ideas around three o’clock in the morning. Sometimes I go to bed late and then wake up two hours later and I’ve got a better song.” 

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“I write songs that make people feel and that touch people” 

—Janis Ian  

The biggest mistake that many new songwriters make is to write songs that are all about them, their life, and their world. Who cares? 

By all means express yourself by writing about something you’re familiar with, but don’t be too insular. Always remember that your songs should be about your audience—not about you. 

If you want your songs to be successful commercially (which is all that music publishers and A&R executives are interested in) you must be careful not to make your songs too narrow and personal. The same applies whether you’re a singer- songwriter, or writing for your own band or other artists. 

Don’t be like the boring person at a party who only ever wants to talk about himself or herself. People don’t want to hear about your problems. They might, however, want to listen if your songs are about experiences, hardships and situations that everyone can relate to—such as a broken love affair, a personal tragedy, or a song about concern for the environment. 

“I’m not looking to describe something that’s only true of my own circumstances,” Jackson Browne once said. “It’s all about reaching inside to something that you have in common with many.” 

Diane Warren avoids making her songs too personal by putting herself in the shoes of the character she’s writing about. “I see pictures in my mind and become the character in the song as I’m writing,” she said. “It’s kind of method song- writing, where you’re the actor in the song.” 

By writing about something that everyone experiences in his or her own life, you can touch people’s emotions. If you can make the listener feel something, it’s the sign of a good song. 

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“Sometimes I’ll do something clever, but I try not to be clever just to be clever—that would be contrived”

—Stephen Stills 

Unless you’re simply writing to please yourself or entertain your family, it is essential to take the listener and the commercial market into consideration when creating your songs. Don’t just write for yourself. 

As Emeli Sandé puts it: “You need to understand the market you’re in. You can’t become too self-indulgent.” 

The urge to express yourself may be one reason why you started writing in the first place—especially if you’re a singer-songwriter or writing for your own band. How- ever, there is a huge difference between communicating your personal thoughts and feelings forcefully in a song that has a well-balanced shape and form … and an introspective self-indulgent opus that goes on and on, doesn’t actually go anywhere, and only gratifies your own whims. 

If you want your songs to be heard and enjoyed by other people, you have to be able to step outside of yourself and hear the song from the listener’s point of view. Does your song communicate clearly what you want to say without it needing further explanation? Are there chord changes and musical phrases that are repeated more than three times within a verse or a chorus just because you like them? 

Have you written too many verses when, with some self-discipline, your story could be condensed and told in two or three high-impact verses? Is your bridge too long and meandering? Are you deliberately trying to be obtuse and abstract to make your lyrics sound ‘intellectual’? 

If you want to be able to earn a living from songwriting, you’re unlikely to achieve substantial commercial success by writing self-centred and self-satisfying songs that don’t engage listeners and therefore fail to communicate your messages easily to them. 

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“Anytime I write something that’s trying to be too smart, it doesn’t work” 

—Emeli Sandé  

Most songs tend to be between three and five minutes long, so you only have a limited amount of time in which to create a lasting impression—whether the listener is a music publisher, an A&R rep, a record producer, or a potential record buyer. 

If your song structure and lyrics are too complicated, the song could end up sounding clumsy and difficult to understand—and listeners may find it hard to grasp what you’re trying to communicate to them. 

Don’t fall into the trap of believing that you have to make every line clever or tricky in order to demonstrate your talent and originality. 

Just make sure your song form is clear, predictable and easy to follow. Keeping it simple will make it easier for people to remember the song. 

Listeners have subconsciously come to expect to hear certain elements in today’s songs. That’s why the four tried and tested variations of the Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus form are used again and again by top writers. 

Even an intense writer like Laura Nyro revealed that she had a love for basic song structure. “Although sometimes you’d never know it,” she admitted. 

Don’t make your chord progressions so complicated that they don’t flow properly and end up wandering aimlessly. Having said that, you don’t have to make them too predictable. Throw in a few surprise chords from time to time to keep the song interesting. 

Carefully analyze your songs to make sure you’re not putting too many messages into them. Remember, a song should contain only one story or one message told from a single point of view. Lyrically, you can avoid confusion by using the view- point character’s thoughts and perceptions to drive the song. 

These days, many pop singles are ‘produced’ rather than ‘written’ in the traditional sense. They rely on stacks of instrumentation and vocals and clever studio techniques. But a great song is one that still works and has an emotional impact on an audience when it is stripped down to just one vocal and a single guitar or piano. Think Adele … a piano … and ‘Someone Like You’. 

As Sting once remarked: “Songs have to be simple. It’s not like you have a huge canvas to paint on or a novel length to fill. You’ve got to tell the story in two verses, a chorus and a coda and that takes some skill.” 

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